Kuwait City (AsiaNews/Lebanonwire) - OPEC president Sheikh Ahmad Fahd al-Sabah left Kuwait Wednesday for China and Russia, respectively the world's second-largest oil consumers and producers, for talks on future supply and demand prospects. Sheikh Ahmad, who is also Kuwait's energy minister, said talks would focus on China's future demand and Russia's plans regarding expanding production capacity.
"Talks in China will focus on international energy affairs ... It is part of OPEC's strategy to open dialogue between producers and consumers," Sheikh Ahmad told reporters at the airport.
"We want to know ... China's future requirements for energy and its investments in refineries and refining capacity."
In China, Sheikh Ahmad said he will also complete negotiations that began in Kuwait two weeks ago for the construction of a five-billion-dollar refining and petrochemicals complex in Guangdong province.
On December 5, the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding for the project that includes building a refinery with a capacity of between 200,000 and 400,000 barrels per day (bpd).
In Moscow, meanwhile, Sheikh Ahmad said "we want to know its (Russia's) future plans for the world oil markets in order to coordinate ... on securing supplies."